Feast on festive food – but be cautious

Light bites: One expert urge that meals be cooked with healthier ingredients or serve vegetarian dishes.

KLANG: Since it is the norm for Malaysians to eat and be merry during festivals, medical experts say it will be wise to not throw caution to the wind when enjoying festive food and drinks.

However, healthy people could let their hair down and indulge for a short period of time during festivals, said cardiologist Dr Kannan Pasamanikam.

“No harm should come from a short period of indulgence, but of course, this does not cover alcohol, as any overindulgence by even healthy people will be detrimental,’’ he said.

According to Dr Kannan, too much alcohol can acutely affect the heart and induce an irregular rhythm called atrial fibrillation which can be dangerous.

People with diabetes, high blood pressure and heart conditions should be careful about their sugar and salt intake, said Dr Kannan.

“Foods that are sweet will cause diabetics to lose control of their glucose levels, and excessive salt intake will be dangerous for people with high blood pressure as well as those who are on heart failure treatment, as control of their illness may be lost,’’ said Dr Kannan.

He added that moderation is the key.

Clinical dietician Rozanna Md Rosly concurred that moderation was the key and added that people must avoid overeating even during festivals.

“While everyone is entitled to a little indulgence especially during the festive season, moderation is a must,’’ said Rozanna, who is attached to a private hospital.

She said it would be advisable to limit high-fat foods such as pork belly, poultry and animal skin, as well as pork trotters and chicken feet.

“Also limit high-cholesterol foods, such as offal, shrimp paste and crab paste, as well as preserved foods like salted fish and Chinese preserved sausages,’’ advised Rozanna.

To avoid overeating when visiting, Rozanna said the best way is to avoid being hungry, as one tends to overeat when one is hungry.

According to her, it would be ideal to have a snack before going out to open houses.

She also said those cooking could opt for using healthier ingredients or serve vegetarian dishes.

“Many vegetables that have auspicious-sounding names are often used in Chinese New Year dishes too,” she added.

She cited as examples leek (suan), which sounds like counting in Chinese; lettuce (sheng cai), which sounds like the word for creating wealth; and radish (cai tao in Hokkien), meaning good sign.

Rozanna advised revellers to eat moderately and perform some physical activity, like walking, after eating to prevent bloating.